SKIATOOK – After coming close on several occasions, the Grove Lady Red finally managed to put it all together in 1-0 win over Skiatook in a District 5A-3 matchup Monday.

Outfielder Ciera Christy pulled a base hit down the left field line with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth inning to drive in Paige Miller with the game’s only run.

“It’s a big win,” head coach Jeremy Collins said. “We’re excited about it. They [Skiatook] are a pretty good team.”

Senior pitcher Emilee Iverson continued her recent run of stellar pitching, throwing a no-hitter and allowing just one ball out of the infield for the entire game.

“She pitched really, really well,” Collins said. “She kept them off-balance and kept everything on the ground.”

The majority of those grounders founder the left side of the Grove infield where third baseman Kaitlynn Smith and shortstop Taylor Rupe both played strong defensive games, combining for 12 assists.

The game had its fair share of dramatic moments. The Lady Red (3-15, 1-7 in District 5A-3) failed on scoring chances in the first and second innings and nearly came away with no runs in the fifth after loading the bases with one out. The Lady Bulldogs then used a bunt single plus a hit batter to put two on with no outs and the heart of the order up in the top of the seventh.

But Iverson, who walked four and hit two batters for the game, got a pair of pop-ups around a strikeout to keep the Lady Bulldogs off the scoreboard.

“She’s been keeping us in games,” Collins said. “She’s getting more confident and stronger as the season goes on. Pitching as much as she’s had to do has made her better.”

Christy finished with a pair of hits, while Rupe was also 2-for-3. In all, the Lady Red had nine hits.

Grove also won a game at the Sand Springs Tournament on Saturday, finishing the tournament with a 5-2 win over Sapulpa and a 1-4 record for the two days. The Lady Bulldogs (12-9 overall, 2-4 in 5A-3) reached the finals at Sand Springs, going 4-0 in pool play before falling to Moore in the finals.

The Lady Red will play on Thursday at the Oologah Tournament against Collinsville. The tournament continues with games against Chandler on Friday and Cleveland on Saturday